TLDR
- Alphabet sold ¥576.5 billion ($3.6 billion) in yen-denominated bonds — the largest-ever yen bond sale by a foreign company.
- It is Alphabet’s first-ever yen bond issuance, with maturities ranging from 3 to 40 years.
- GOOGL stock fell 1.75% in premarket trading following the announcement.
- The sale is part of a broader borrowing run that has seen Alphabet raise nearly $60 billion in bonds over the past four months.
- Alphabet has raised its 2025 capex forecast to $180–$190 billion, with spending expected to rise further in 2027.
Alphabet (GOOGL) stock slipped 1.75% in premarket trading on Friday after the Google parent made history in Japan’s bond market, raising ¥576.5 billion — roughly $3.6 billion — in its debut yen bond sale.
The deal is the largest yen-denominated bond ever issued by a foreign company, surpassing the previous record of ¥430 billion set by Berkshire Hathaway in 2019.
Alphabet issued bonds across seven maturities — 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 30, and 40 years — with coupons ranging from 1.965% to 4.599%. Mizuho Securities, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley acted as joint bookrunners.
Demand from both domestic and international investors was strong, according to Mizuho Securities, one of the underwriters on the deal.
The five-year tranche alone accounted for ¥200.5 billion, priced at 50 basis points over mid-swaps.
AI Spending Drives the Borrowing Push
This yen deal is not a one-off. Alphabet has raised close to $60 billion in bonds over the past four months — one of the largest corporate debt-raising runs on record.
The company previously issued bonds in euros, sterling, Canadian dollars, and Swiss francs. The yen market is a new addition to that list.
The fundraising is tied directly to Alphabet’s expanding AI ambitions. Alongside its Q1 earnings, the company raised its annual capital expenditure forecast by $5 billion to a range of $180–$190 billion.
Management also flagged that spending could climb further in 2027 as competition in AI infrastructure heats up.
Japanese Investors Are Still Hungry for Yield
The backdrop for the deal is a surge in yen bond activity from non-Japanese companies. Bloomberg data shows issuance from foreign firms has jumped more than 280% this year, reaching ¥1.6 trillion.
Taketoshi Tsuchiya, president of Fujiwara Capital, noted that while U.S. investors are showing signs of fatigue, Japanese investors remain yield-hungry and are willing to buy paper from big-name issuers like Alphabet.
That appetite may pull in more global companies. Berkshire Hathaway, which pioneered this playbook in 2019, returned to the yen market again in April.
Wall Street remains broadly positive on GOOGL. Based on 28 Buy ratings and five Hold ratings over the past three months, analysts carry a Strong Buy consensus on the stock.
The average price target sits at $426.44, implying roughly 6.32% upside from current levels.
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